Sober warning for Sunraysia on COVID-19

WATCHING the COVID-19 crisis unfold in her native Italy from afar, Isabella Greco’s message to Sunraysia is simple: “Learn from other countries’ mistakes before it is too late.”

Born in Tuscany’s capital Florence in central Italy, Ms Greco moved to Australia in December 2014 to be with her Melbourne-based brother.

“He has been living here for more than 20 years and I had always wanted to visit this marvellous country,” she said.

Ms Greco made the moved to Mildura with a desire to join the team at Stefano’s Restaurant.

“Eventually I made it,” she said.

“I have been the restaurant manager since 2015 and I can’t stress enough how happy and lucky I feel to be having this great experience.”

But as much as she loves Australia, Ms Greco wishes the country would learn from the events unfolding in Italy.

“The circumstances in Italy are quite serious – there have been thousands of deaths,” she said.

“Italy’s problem is that the situation has been largely underestimated.”

Ms Greco said while her family was healthy, she was concerned about the evolving nature of the crisis.

“We never know what tomorrow will bring because what we are experiencing is a global danger,” she said.

“Even without the risk of contagion, I wouldn’t be able to visit my family back home because I have been on a bridging visa waiting for my permanent residency to come through for the past four years.”

When asked if Mildura should take the threat of COVID-19 more seriously, Ms Greco’s answer was unwavering.

“The only message I can address to the community is to learn from other countries’ mistakes before it’s too late,” she said.

“Stay home and leave the house only if strictly necessary, using precautions such as social distancing, gloves and, if you have it, a mask, because you could be one of the asymptomatic subjects.

“We must protect ourselves in order to protect others. It is better to be safe than sorry.”